Non-availability of funds: LG reps threaten to quit

PESHAWAR: The local government representatives on Monday threatened to resign in protest against the non-availability of funds and powers to resolve the problems of their respective areas.

The elected representatives at a meeting of the Badber tehsil held at the City Council Hall here said that they had been denied funds for more than two years while their voters demanded development schemes.

The meeting was attended by tehsil chairman Mufti Tila Muhammad and government officials, including TMO Imdadullah, assistant director local government Muhammad Riaz Khan.

Chairmen of the village councils Jamat Afridi, Qari Roman, Muhammad Nawaz Khan, Muhammad Amin Raz Khan, Nisar Khan and Fazal Sher addressed the meeting.

The problems facing the people were not being solved, they said, adding that secretaries of their respective councils were also not taking any interest in providing services to the public.

Muhammad Riaz Khan said that the government officials would work with the elected representatives to serve the public and assured that the chairmen problems would be resolved on priority basis.

He informed that secretaries of village councils were subordinate to the chairmen and that strict action would be taken against any secretary involved in violation of rules.

He assured the chairmen that birth and death certificates were having some legal issues and that a committee had been constituted to resolve these issues. He said that the government had prohibited establishing offices at local hujras.

Tehsil Chairman Tila Muhammad said that the meeting had been convened to provide an opportunity to the village chairmen to discuss their problems with government officials.

He urged chairmen to study the rules of business and apprise themselves of their rights and duties. He said that the tehsil council would soon launch an operation against the encroachments in Adezai and adjoining villages. He directed the TMO Bedhber to prepare a comprehensive plan for the operation.